Fixing What Has Been Broken Rewrite
by JasonMorganfan87
Summary: This is rewrite of my story 'Fixing What Has Been Broken'. Fifteen years ago, a desperate man made a horrible choice. Now years later a family is reunited with the child that was taken from them. Will they be able to repair the damage that was done when he was taken from them or is it too late?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: ****I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters**

**Fixing what has been Broken Rewrite**

**A/N: So I wrote this story a while back, but I didn't like how came out so I decided to rewrite. Hopefully this version will turn out better.**

_1980_

James Potter paced the maternity ward at St. Mungo's. The healers had taken his son away just seconds after he was born to figure out what was wrong. Thankfully Lily had passed out just seconds after their child's birth, so she didn't have to worry, but he was worrying plenty for the both of them.

Soon a healer came out and approached James. She had a sad look on her face. "I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, we did everything we could."

"What are you talking about? Where's my son?" James demanded to know.

"I'm sorry. We tried every spell we could come up with. Unfortunately, not even magic can heal everything. Your son's lungs simply weren't developed enough," the healer explained gently.

"No," James denied. He wasn't an idiot. He knew what the woman was trying to tell him. She was saying his son was dead. But he couldn't hear that. He just couldn't. His son could not be dead. He couldn't deal with that. _Lily_ couldn't deal with that.

"I'm truly sorry about this, Mr. Potter," the healer said again.

"D…does my wife know?" James asked.

"No. She's still asleep. I'm sure you want to be the one to tell her. You can go in whenever you're ready," the healer said before walking away.

James was in shock. He couldn't believe it. His son was dead. How was he going to tell Lily? She was so excited when she found out. They'd had a name picked and everything. Harry. His name was Harry James Potter and now it was all over. Everything they'd hoped for their son was gone. He wasn't going to grow up to go to Hogwarts and start the next generation of marauders. He wasn't going to grow up to be a famous quidditch star or an auror. He wasn't going to grow up at all.

James walked down to where all the babies were kept when they were born. There were two boys there. They appeared to be twins. It wasn't fair. There was a couple out there who had two sons and now he didn't even have one.

James had a terrible thought at that moment. He could take one of those babies and claim it as his own. All it would take was a glamour and modifying a few memories. He and Lily could have the son they had dreamed of for so long.

He knew he was a terrible person for even thinking about it. He was thinking about stealing someone else's child. But then again, this couple had another child. They would survive the loss. Lily would not.

James put on a 'Notice Me Not' charm and walked into the nursery. He picked up one of the boys and carried him out, all the while telling himself he was doing the right thing for his wife.

Just then, the healer that had delivered the news of his son's death walked back towards him. "Mr. Potter, your wife… who is that?"

James immediately obliviated her and modified her memory to forget that his child had died and instead to believe that the woman with twins had lost one of her children instead. "Now what were you saying about my wife?"

"Oh, she's awake. You should take your child to see her," the healer said.

James forced a smile on his face. Thank you, madam. I'll do that now," he said before walking away and going towards Lily's room. When he got there, he found Sirius outside the door.

"James, I'm so sor… Wait, who's that?" Sirius asked as he looked at the baby in his friend's arms. He knew it wasn't the baby Lily had just given birth to. The healer had just told him the child was dead.

"This is Harry, my son." James said.

"James, the healer told me that your son died. Are you okay, mate?" Sirius asked carefully. He wondered briefly if the pain of losing his only child had gotten to his friend.

"You should forget what the healer said." James told him.

"James, where did you get that baby?" Sirius asked apprehensively. He didn't like the way James was speaking right now. Not to mention that he had a baby in his arms that was not his, yet, he was claiming he was.

"It doesn't matter. He's ours now. Mine and Lily's." James said. Sirius he wouldn't obliviate. He was his best friend. He just had to convince him to let the situation be.

"Where did you get him, James?" Sirius asked his friend.

"From the nursery. A couple just had twins," James finally said.

"And you just took him? Have you lost your bloody mind?!" Sirius asked in shock.

"I can't tell Lily that our son is dead. I just can't do it, Padfoot. Please, just help me give Lily her dream," James pleaded.

"Do you know what you're saying, James. You're talking about stealing someone else's child. This is not like pulling some prank. This is kidnapping! We are talking about something that could get us put in Azkaban, not to mention destroying an entire family." Sirius said. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that his friend would ever consider stealing someone else's child.

James shook his head. "I can't think about that. Lily is my wife. She's the one I have to think about. Losing her child would devastate her. It would destroy her, Sirius. I can't let that happen. Please, you have to help me. You have to keep quiet about what you know. Please."

Sirius listened to his best friend beg. He'd never heard him so desperate in his life. But could he really do this? Could he really sit back and let James rip a child from his parents? Could he let really let someone else go through what James was going through right now?

The answer came to Sirius sooner than it should've. James was Sirius' best friend. He'd always been there for him. He and his family had even let them live with them when he ran away from his own family. He couldn't turn his back on him now. He knew it was wrong. He knew that he was selling his soul right along with James, but James was his best friend and he would stand by him no matter what, even if that meant destroying another family to do it. He would hate himself for the rest of his life, but he would stand by James. "Okay."


	2. Chapter 2

_Fifteen years later_

Harry woke up in the room he shared with Ron at Grimmuald Place. He'd arrived the night before with member of the order.

Harry looked over to Ron's bed to see that he was already gone. It must have been pretty late for Ron to already be up. Not that he was surprised that he slept so late. He hadn't gotten much sleep. His mind was on the trial he would face in a few weeks. The trial that would determine if he got to go back to Hogwarts.

Harry wasn't sure what he'd do if he was found guilty. He wouldn't go back to the Dursley's. That was for sure. He would run away if he had to. He could barely stand being around them for the short time he was there in the summertime, let alone year round. He couldn't handle that again. But it still begged the question of what he would do. He didn't really want to think about it, but he found he could think about nothing else.

Harry was pulled from his thoughts by the door opening. Ron and Hermione were there fully dressed.

"Hey, mate. Sorry, but Mum says it's time you got up and come down for breakfast," Ron said.

"No, it's alright, I was already up. What time is it anyway?" Harry asked as he sat up in his bed.

"Ten thirty," Hermione answered.

"Yeah, you got to sleep later than the rest of us. Mum had us up mad early," Ron grumbled.

"Honestly, Ron, nine thirty is not that early," Hermione said.

Harry grinned at his friends' bickering. He could always count on them to make him feel better without even trying. "Alright, you guys, how about getting out so I can change?"

"Of course, Harry. Hey did you get highlights this summer?" Hermione asked. She noticed that the ends of Harry's hair had a reddish tint to them. She hadn't noticed it the night before, but then it wasn't all that noticeable if you weren't up close.

"No, why?" Harry asked.

"What are highlights?" Ron asked confused.

"It's when you dye portions of your hair a different color. The ends of your hair have red in them, Harry," Hermione told him.

Ron stepped a little closer. "Oh, yeah, I can see them. Was it there yesterday?"

"Wasn't aware it was there today," Harry said before darting off to the bathroom, followed closely by his friends. Once he got there, he looked in the mirror over the sink. Sure enough, the very ends of his hair were sporting some red strands. "Bloody hell."

"How could this happen unless you did it on purpose?" Hermione asked. It wasn't uncommon for a person's hair to change color when they are children, but she'd never heard of it happening during teenage or adult years. It was just very strange.

Harry wondered the same thing. He couldn't see why his hair would just suddenly start changing color. He didn't mind the look itself. He wouldn't mind having red hair. But it did worry him because he was pretty sure nothing like this had ever happened.

"Maybe he did do it. Maybe he's a metamorphmagus like Tonks," Ron suggested.

"It might be possible. Harry, before it started changing, did you think you might want to get highlights or something?" Hermione asked.

"No, the thought never crossed my mind," Harry said.

"What about wanting to look different?" she questioned.

"No, not aside from wanting my scar gone," Harry said.

"Well, then it's probably not that. A metamorphmagus has at least some desire to change when they do so," Hermione said.

"Oi, I bet I know what it is. Harry, did you notice Fred or George near your food or drink at any point last night?" Ron asked. That had to be what it was. The twins must have played a prank on Harry.

"No, but that doesn't mean they didn't sneak something in when I wasn't looking. You're right, Ron, that has to be it," Harry said. He didn't know why he hadn't thought of the twins before now. This had their names written all over it.

"You really think the twins would do this?" Hermione asked.

Ron looked at her incredulously. "Blimey, Hermione, have you met my brothers? There's nothing they wouldn't do for a good laugh."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Well, we should let Harry get dressed. We'll see you downstairs, Harry," Hermione told him.

Harry nodded and watched them leave. He then went to get his clothes so he could get dressed.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Harry made it downstairs ten minutes later. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a blue V-neck t-shirt. He went into the kitchen where he found Sirius, Remus, Mrs. Weasley, the twins, Ron, and Hermione.

Molly immediately went over to the boy she'd long since considered a son. "Harry, dear, I'm glad to see you up. Did you have a good night? We figured we'd give you an extra lie in case you didn't sleep well."

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley, but I slept fine," Harry lied. He didn't want to worry her. She had her own family to worry about, and as much as he wished he were, he wasn't a part of that.

"Well, that's good. Come have a spot of breakfast," Molly said before leading him over to the kitchen table where a plate was already waiting for him.

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said before sitting down and digging into his breakfast.

"Harry, whatever happened to your hair?" Molly asked as she got a good look at the red streaks at the ends of his hair.

"We're guessing a prank," Harry said as he eyed the twins with amusement.

Fred and Georg looked at Harry and then at each other with fake outrage. "I think he's blaming us, Gred.

"I agree, Forge. How insulting," Fred said.

"We are beyond hurt, Harry," George said as clutched his heart.

Harry rolled his eyes at the twins' antics. "Yeah, because you've never pulled a prank on anybody before."

Molly scowled at her twin sons. "Fred and George Weasley! You two had better not have done anything to Harry's hair!"

"We didn't," both boys said in unison. For once, they were actually telling the truth.

"Yeah, right," Ron said sarcastically.

"Our own brother, Gred."

"Well, you have to admit, it does sound like something we would do, Forge," Fred said.

"But this time…"

"We are…"

"Completely…"

"Innocent," They said.

Harry rolled his eyes again. "Innocent is not exactly the word I'd use for the two of you."

"Fix it now!" Molly ordered the twins.

"No, it's okay, Mrs. Weasley. I rather like it. I think red suits me. I'll let it play out," Harry said before taking a sip of his pumpkin juice.

"Well, if you're sure, Harry," Molly said.

"But we really didn't do it," the twins said at once. No one appeared to believe them.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to everyone else, Sirius was looking down at the table with a guilty and stricken look on his face. He knew what was happening and it had nothing to do with the twins. This was the past coming back to bit him on the ass.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry stood in front of the mirror staring at his new appearance. He'd assumed that the changes would fade after a couple of days, but it didn't happen. In fact, the changes increased in the last week. His jet black hair was now mostly red. It was no longer messy and it had thinned considerably. His eyes were now blue-green instead of emerald green and he'd grown a couple of inches taller. His height reached Ron now. Even his vision had changed. He no longer needed his glasses to see. In fact, he'd noticed the day before that the glasses made it more difficult to see.

Harry didn't mind his new appearance. He actually rather liked the way he looked. The problem was that there was no explanation. He no longer believed the twins had done this. He didn't even think they could do something like this.

Harry was pulled from his thoughts by Ron's voice. "You okay, mate."

Harry turned to him. "Yeah, I'm just thinking."

"The appearance thing again?" Ron asked.

"I don't think Fred and George did this, Ron," Harry told his best friend.

"Yeah, Neither do I. They wouldn't let the joke go on this long, besides, I don't even think they could do it," Ron said. His parents didn't believe it was the twins anymore either. He'd heard them speak to Dumbledore about it the last time he was there. They sounded worried.

"So then what's causing it? People don't just start changing appearance overnight," Harry said worriedly.

Ron hesitated. He did have a theory. He'd even shared it with Hermione. They'd both been unsure of whether or not to share it with Harry because they weren't sure he'd like what they had to say. But Harry was asking questions now. He wasn't going to let it go until he got answers.

Harry noticed the look on his friend's face. "What? If you know something, tell me."

"Well, I don't exactly know anything, but I have a theory," Ron said. He decided to tell him. For better or worse, his friend needed to find out the truth, whatever that might be.

"Well, don't keep me in suspense," Harry said.

"I've never heard of spell that slowly altered a person's appearance. Every glamour spell I've heard of worked instantly. But when one wears off, it usually takes about a week or two," Ron said.

"Wait, you mean you think this is the way I'm supposed to look? That doesn't make any sense. I looked exactly like my father before and look nothing like him or my mum now," Harry said. Yes, he had red hair like she did, but it wasn't the firey red like hers had been. It actually looked more of the shad of Mr. Weasley's. "And why would anyone want to glamour me in the first place?"

Just then, Hermione came over. "Hey. What's going on?"

"I was about to tell him," Ron said.

"Tell me what? There's more?" Harry asked.

Ron sighed. "The biggest reason for someone to alter a child's appearance is to mask paternity."

"Wait, you're saying you don't think James Potter was my father. That's ridiculous. I look just like him," Harry said, momentarily forgetting that that was no longer the case.

"Not anymore, Harry. You don't look anything like him now," Hermione reminded him.

"R…right," Harry said before exiting the bathroom and going back into the bedroom. He went over to his bed and sat down. This couldn't be true, could it? No. All he heard the last five years was how much his parents loved each other and how much like his father he was. He was the son of James Potter. He had to be."

"Are you alright, Harry?" Hermione asked as she and Ron joined them.

"It's not true. It can't be. Everyone says I'm just like James Potter," Harry said.

"People see what they want to see, Harry. Truthfully, from the things we've heard about James Potter, I don't think you're anything like him," Hermione said. James Potter was apparently a famous prankster. Harry wasn't like that at all. He enjoyed jokes and all, but he didn't go out of his way to pull pranks. James Potter was also said to be adventurous. While the three of them did have adventures, they never went looking for them. Harry in fact wished to live his life without them.

"So you're saying you believe this? You think my mum lied about who my father was?" Harry asked.

"I'm saying you should consider the possibility. You should consider all possibilities," Hermione said.

Harry sighed. He didn't want to consider the possibility. All his life, he'd been the son of James and Lily Potter. Even at the Dursley's, that had been fact. It was the one truly constant thing in his life. And even though they were both dead, he didn't want to give that up. But he needed to know why this was happening. He wouldn't be able to rest until he knew. "How do I find out?"

"Well, there is a paternity potion, but you'd have to have your dad's blood to find out. There's also a linage test that's done at Gringotts," Ron said.

"I don't think I'm going to get there anytime soon," Harry said. It would be at least after his trial. If he was found innocent anyway.

"I suggest talking to Sirius first, Harry. I've seen the way he looks at you sometimes when he thinks no one's around. I think he knows why you're changing," Hermione said.

"Hermione, Sirius is the loudest about how much like my fath… like James I am. Why would he say that if he thought I wasn't his son?" Harry asked.

"I don't know. I just think he knows something," Hermione said.

Harry looked at her. He'd learned to trust Hermione's judgment over the years. It was rare that she ever turned out wrong. If she thought Sirius knew something, that probably meant he did. "Okay, I'm going to go talk to him."

"Do you want us to come with you, mate?" Ron asked. This was quite possibly the biggest thing to ever happen to his friend, which was saying a lot. He wanted to be there to help him.

"No, I need to do this on my own. I'll see you guys later," Harry said before standing up and leaving the room


	4. Chapter 4

Harry found Sirius sitting in the living room looking at a picture. He seemed very engrossed because he didn't seem to notice Harry. "Sirius."

Sirius finally turned to Harry. "Oh, hey. I was just looked at a picture of your dad."

Harry walked over and sat down on the couch next to Sirius. He glanced over at the picture, hoping to find the slightest thing that resembled the way he looked now. But there was nothing. There was no part of him that looked like James Potter now.

"Your dad loved you so much, Harry. He would be proud of you now," Sirius said. It was true. Despite the fact that Harry wasn't his son, James had come to love him as though he was.

"Is he, Sirius?" Harry asked.

"Is he what?" asked Sirius.

"My father."

Sirius turned to look at Harry. He was surprised by the question, but he supposed he shouldn't be. It was only a matter of time before Harry came to that conclusion, what with his change in appearance and all.

Sirius' first instinct was to lie. To say that James was his father. He dreaded Harry learning the truth. The boy would hate both him and James. But lying would only be a temporary solution. Sooner or later, Harry would learn the truth and he would hate Sirius that much more for lying. No, he had to tell Harry the truth and hope that he would understand. "No. He's not."

Harry shuddered a bit. There it was. It was no longer a question anymore. James Potter was not his father. The one constant thing in his life was gone. "James Potter isn't my father. Then who is?"

"I don't know," Sirius said honestly. He never found out who Harry's parents were. He never wanted to know. Knowing meant putting names and faces to the people whose world he helped destroy. "You must understand, Harry, he was desperate. He felt he had no choice."

"Who?" Harry asked. He wasn't sure if Sirius was talking about James Potter or his father. And, Merlin, it felt weird thinking of the two as different people.

"James. He and Lily were ecstatic when they found out they were going to have a child. The smile never left James' face the entire nine months. Neither he nor Lily thought that anything could ruin their growing family. They were wrong," Sirius said sadly.

Harry was beginning to get worried. He didn't know what it was, but something told him that this wasn't as simple as his mother lying about his paternity. In fact, the way Sirius was speaking, James was the bad guy. "I don't understand. What happened?"

Sirius took a deep breath. He really didn't want to tell Harry this. He wanted to just run away from this conversation and never speak of it again. But he'd spent long enough running from what he did. Besides, Harry was going to find out one way or enough. The rest of the Order already suspected that James might not be Harry's father due to his appearance. There was talk about taking him to Gringotts for a lineage test. Harry would find out then.

Apparently Sirius had been quite for quite a bit because Harry spoke again with desperation in his voice. "Sirius, please, tell me!"

Sirius sighed. "The night Lily went into labor, there were complications, and despite the countless spells and potions the healers tried, they couldn't save the baby."

"W…what?" Harry stuttered in shock. What did he mean they couldn't save the baby? They had to have saved him. He was alive and well. Unless Sirius wasn't talking about him.

"Harry, please understand. It was an act of desperate man. He had just lost his son," Sirius said.

"His son. His son who isn't me," Harry said as he began to shake. Oh, yes, this was obviously much worse than he thought. No, he wasn't James' son, but it appeared he wasn't Lily's either. That shook him to the core. He felt like his entire world had been turned upside down.

"You became his son, Harry. He loved you so much. But, no, you weren't the baby Lily was pregnant with. When James found out his child had died, he was devastated, but he was also so worried about Lily and how she would take it. He didn't think she could handle it. Then he saw you in the nursery. A healthy baby boy that he could give to Lily," Sirius explained.

Harry's eyes grew wide with horror as he realized what Sirius was trying to tell him. He stood up and backed away from Sirius. "H…he stole me?"

Sirius cringed at the words and wanted to deny them, but he couldn't. That was exactly what it was. He could dress it up all he wanted, but Harry had it right. James had stolen him and Sirius had helped him. "He was desperate and he was grieving."

"So that makes it okay to take someone else's kid?" Harry asked angrily. He couldn't believe this was happening. James Potter had kidnapped him. He'd stolen him from his family when he was born. A thought suddenly occurred to him. Sirius knew. "How long have you known about this?"

"From the beginning. I was there shortly after Lily gave birth. I heard the news that her child had died and then James showed up with you. He begged me not to say anything," Sirius said.

"And you agreed? You let him just take me from my family?" Harry asked in disbelief. He couldn't believe any of this. What kind of people kidnapped other people's children to replace their dead ones? How did Sirius and James convince themselves this was okay?

"He was my best friend, Harry. Think if Ron had asked you to do something for him," Sirius said.

"I would never help Ron kidnap someone else's kid!" Harry yelled. Ron was his best friend and he would do almost anything for him, but there was a line. Kidnapping was definitely over the line.

Harry began to pace as he thought about everything that happened in his life and what he was learning about it now. His entire life had been a lie. His parents were not Lily and James Potter. Hell, he wasn't even Harry Potter. Everything, including his name was a lie.

"Harry, I'm sorry," Sirius said.

Harry stopped and glared at him. "Are you? Then why didn't you tell me the truth? Why did you spend nearly every moment we've spent together telling me how much like my father I was. You couldn't know if I'm like my father. You don't even know who my father is."

"James was your dad, Harry. He loved you and you loved him," Sirius said.

"He stole me! You both did. How could you do this? At the very least, you should've at least told me when we met two years ago when we met," Harry said. If he'd known then, at the very least he could've gotten away from the Dursley's two years earlier.

"You were only thirteen. I wasn't sure how you'd handle it," Sirius lied. Truthfully, he just didn't want Harry to hate him, not even then. Harry might not technically be James', but he'd watched the kid grow for the first year of his life. He loved him.

"Don't give me that! You could've told Remus or Dumbledore if you weren't sure I could handle it. You didn't tell because you didn't want to. You wanted to keep going on like I was the son of your best friend. But I wasn't and I never will be," Harry said before running out of the room. He couldn't stay there any longer. He'd had about as much as he could take.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

"Bloody hell! Are you serious?" Ron asked Harry. They were all in Ron's and Harry's room. Harry had just told them of his conversation with Sirius.

Hermione glared at Ron. "I don't think he would joke about something like this, Ron."

"I know, but… bloody hell!" he exclaimed again.

"Took the words out of my mouth," Harry said. He still had a hard time wrapping his head around all of this. He couldn't believe this was happening. He couldn't believe Sirius had done this. He'd trusted Sirius. He was one of the few adults he thought he could trust. It turned out he was gravely mistaken.

"No, you don't understand, mate. This just isn't done, and for good reason stealing a kid in our world is a serious crime," Ron said.

"Well, it's not exactly a small thing in the muggle world either," Hermione said.

"We're talking serious prison time, the depletion of half the kidnapper's fortune as restitution to the family, and if the person is an heir, his title would be stripped. The family would quickly receive blood traitor status. And that's just if the kid in question is a half blood or not the oldest in his family. It gets much worse if the kid is an heir," Ron said seriously.

"Bloody hell," Harry said, repeating Ron's first reaction. That was a steep price. Not that it would make it any better. No prison time or money would change the fifteen years he'd spent without his family.

"I just don't know what Sirius could've possibly been thinking when he did this. He knew the laws," Ron said. As a pureblood and heir to wealthy pureblood family, Sirius would've been well aware of the consequences of his actions, James Potter too.

"Harry, are you okay?" Hermione asked.

Harry shook his head. "No, not particularly. I just found out my entire life has been a lie and one of the few people I trust is partly responsible for that. I don't know who my family is. I don't even know who I am."

"You're going to have to have that test at Gingotts, Harry. That's the only way to find out who your family is," Ron said.

"If I take that test, I'm going to have to tell people why I need it so they'll take me. I don't want that. I don't want to make a big deal out of this," Harry said. He hated the attention he received already. The last thing he needed was more of that.

"It is a big deal, mate," Ron said seriously.

"I just don't want a bunch of people there while do this," Harry said.

"Well, the twins can apparate now. They can take you. Mum will be right mad though," Ron said. Oh, he could just picture how angry his mother would be. This time she doubted Harry would be excluded from her rage like every other time.

"Ron, don't encourage him to get into trouble," Hermione said.

"Hermione, I need to know and I don't want everyone here hovering over me. I just want to find out the truth and then figure out what to do about it without Dumbledore and everyone else getting involved," Harry said. He knew they would all mean well, but he also knew they would look at him with pity. He couldn't take that right now.

"Hermione, might be right though, mate. Like I said, Mum will be angry," Ron said.

"I have to do this, Ron. I have to be alone, or at least with as few people as possible when I find out. I'm going to go find the twins," Harry said before getting up and leaving the room.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: For those of you who read the first version of this story, you'll notice that I've changed Harry's birth name.**

The next day, Harry and the twins made their way through Diagon Alley towards Gringotts. They had decided to wait a day because there wouldn't be many adults around. Arthur would be working at the Ministry, Molly was going to the Burrow to get some things, and the most of the others were on assignments for Dumbledore. The only one left was Sirius.

To say that getting through the last day was difficult for Harry would be an understatement. It wasn't just the suspense, though that was hard enough. He had a hard time being around Sirius after what he'd learned. He'd felt so betrayed by the man. He'd taken him from his family and lied about it until there was no other choice but to admit. He'd allowed him to keep going back to the Dursleys knowing full well what they were like.

"Thanks for doing this, guys. I know it could get you in a lot of trouble," Harry told the twins.

"No problem, Harry. We were just thinking that it's been far…"

"Too long…"

"Since we got into trouble. Almost…

"A week…"

"Far too long indeed," they said.

Harry chuckled. Only the twins would complain about not getting into trouble.

"I am curious though. Why not just ask Mum to bring you if you're just trying to see if you have any other relatives?" George asked.

That's what Harry had told him. He'd said that he was looking for other relatives so that if he lost the upcoming trial, he wouldn't have to return to the Dursleys. He wasn't ready for anyone else to know that he didn't know who any of his family was. "Uh, I just wanted to do this by myself. I didn't want anyone making a fuss over me."

"Yeah, Mum probably would do that," Fred said as they walked into Gringotts.

Harry walked ahead of them and approached one of the desks were the goblins were.

"What do you need?" the gobin who took them asked.

"Hello. I'm Harry Potter and I would like to take the lineage test," Harry said.

The goblin looked at him for a minute and then stepped away from his station. "Come with me."

Harry turned to the twins. "Do you guys want to come?" For all his talk about how he wanted to do this alone, he suddenly didn't. This was the scariest thing he could possibly imagine right now and he wanted someone with him.

"Sure, Harry," the twins said.

With that, Harry followed the goblin with the twins trailing behind. They went into a room with nothing but a table with a piece of parchment on it.

"You're going to point your wand to the parchment and wave it. It'll list your name and the name of your relatives," the goblin said.

"How will using my wand tell you who I am?" Harry asked curiously.

"Your magical core of course," the goblin said as if it were obvious.

"Harry, a witch or wizard's magical core is tested and registered at birth. That's how the parchment will know your name, and because a person's family history is also recorded at birth, it'll be able to list the rest of your family after listing your identity. That's why your name will come up first," George explained.

Harry nodded that he understood. He then took out is wand and walked over to the table where the parchment was. He pointed his wand to it and waved it slightly, sending a couple of sparks to it. Seconds later, a name began to form.

PREWETT SEPTIMUS WEASLEY

Harry let out a gasp of shock when he saw the name he'd been given. He watched in just as much shock as the rest of the Weasley's names appeared after his. He was a Weasley.

"You okay there, Harry?" George asked as he walked over. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the parchment. "Bloody hell!"

"What?" Fred asked as he joined his twin and saw what had him and Harry so shocked. "Bloody hell!"

Harry barely even noticed their presences. He was far too engrossed in his own shock. He didn't know what he expected to find out today, but this wasn't it. According to this, the Weasleys were his family. All this time he'd spent with them and they were his family.

Harry felt like his world was spinning. He didn't know how to handle all of this. It wasn't that he was a Weasley. He'd always wished they were his family. But this all was just too much. In the last twenty-four hours, he'd learned that he wasn't the son of Lily and James Potter, that James and Sirius had stolen him away from his real parents, and that his true family was in fact the Weasleys. He was only fifteen=years-old. How was he supposed to deal with all of this?

Harry soon began to fall backwards, forcing George to forget his own shock and catch the younger boy. "Whoa! Hang on, I've got you, mate. Get him a chair!"

Fed pulled out of his own stupor and conjured a chair. He then helped his twin get Harry into it.

"I take it this was a surprise," the goblin said.

"Of course it was a bloody surprise. Our brother was declared dead fifteen years ago," George said, still quite shocked. He didn't doubt it though. It was like he told Harry, every child's magical core was tested at birth and they never changed. There was no possible way that test could have been wrong. Harry and his younger brother, Prewett, were the same person.

"We must contact your ministry then," the goblin said. Normally, goblins made a point not to get involved with the affairs of wizards, but this was different. Gringotts had made a deal with the ministry centuries ago to report any case of popular kidnapping, as it affected Gringotts as well. This was clearly a case of that.

The twins looked at Harry who was still in a shocked state. Then they looked at each other. They didn't know much right now, but they knew this was their brother and he'd been taken by them by some kind of sinister means. They wanted answers to what those means were and why.

Both boys turned back to the goblin and spoke in unison. "Do it."


	6. Chapter 6

Bill Weasley was in his office working when he heard the gruff voice of one of the goblins.

"Hey, Weasley!"

Bill looked up to see Griphook standing there. "Oh, hello, Griphook."

"You're wanted in Testing," the goblin said before promptly leaving.

Bill frowned. Testing was commonly known as the area where the lineage tests were performed. Why would he be needed there? He had no need for the test and he knew of no one else that did. Well, he supposed there was only one way to find out.

Bill got up and exited his office. He walked down the hall and down a flight of stairs. Then he turned into another hallway and walked into the first room on the left. He was surprised to see two of his brothers there trying to console another boy with red hair. "Oi, you two, what are you doing here? And who is that?"

Fred and George both turned to their oldest brother. "Bill, thank God you're here," Fred said.

Bill couldn't help but notice that there wasn't the tiniest bit of humor in his brother's voice. It was never good when that happened with the twins. A situation had to be dire to stop the twins' jokes. "What's wrong?"

"We came with Harry so he could take the lineage test," Fred started to tell his brother.

"That's Harry?" Bill asked in surprise while looking at the young boy with his head down. He had been at Headquarters the first couple of days after Harry showed up and witnessed his change and appearance. Like the others, he'd assumed the twins had done it and that it would reverse soon enough. Obviously that hadn't happened. In fact, it seemed to have gotten worse. The kid looked absolutely nothing like he did when he first arrived at Headquarters.

Fred nodded.

Bill looked at the boy. He looked shocked, overwhelmed, and betrayed. "Harry, are you alright?"

Harry looked up at Bill, but found he couldn't form words. He was still just so shocked. He'd passed the initial shock where he was unaware of what was going on around him, but he still had a hard time dealing with everything he'd just learned.

"You should see for yourself, Bill," Fed said as he pointed to the table where the results of Harry's test lied.

Bill immediately went over and had a look at the parchment. He gasped in shock from what he found. The test didn't say 'Harry Potter' like he'd expected. Instead it had the name of his dead brother on it and the rest of his family was listed immediately after it. Except that if this really was Harry's test, his brother wasn't dead. He was just a few feet away being consoled by his brothers.

Bill went back over and looked at Harry intently. Looking at him now, he looked nothing like a Potter, though that he'd noticed before. What he didn't notice, however, was how much like his own father he looked. He had the same shade of red hair as him and seemed to inherit the cool blue eyes he'd passed onto all of them. Harry still had some green in his eyes but Bill had a feeling that was because the glamour didn't fully wear off yet.

Bill knelt in front of Harry, but addressed the twins. "How did this happen?"

"We don't know. He just said he wanted to see if he had any other relatives. We were shocked when it said he was Prewett," George said. Shocked was actually an understatement. They were flabbergasted by the news. No part of them saw it coming.

"How come you brought him? Where's Mum?" Bill asked.

"I asked them not to tell her," Harry said as he finally found his voice. "I wasn't ready for anyone to know yet."

"You knew?" George asked. He found that really hard to believe. He'd seen the look on Harry's face when he'd read that test. No one could fake that kind of shock.

"This, no. But I knew that James and Lily weren't my parents. I found that out yesterday. That's why I wanted to take the test. I wanted to find my true family. I didn't realize I'd found them five years ago," Harry said.

"How did you find out that much?" Bill asked. Needless to say, he was very interested in how this came out. He was interested in how this happened in the first place. How was it that Harry ended up with the Potters while their family was forced to endure the pain of his loss?

"Sirius told me. He said that the real Harry Potter died at birth. James Potter saw me and took me so that he wouldn't have to tell his wife that their son was dead," Harry explained.

Fred and George both let out a hiss of anger after hearing what newly discovered brother had said.

Bill quickly sent them a look that said 'not now'. Oh, he understood their anger. He was plenty angry himself. James Potter had stolen their brother from them. He'd allowed them to grieve, and grieve they had. Their brother's 'death' had changed everything for them. Their lives might have been so different if they'd known the truth the entire time. But as angry as he was and as angry as he knew the twins were, they had to set it aside for now. They were Harry's older brothers and he needed them to keep a cool eye right now. This would get worse before it got better. He was almost positive aurors were on the way. This is the one issue Goblins consulted the ministry about.

As if on cue, at that moment, Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt walked through the door. "What are you lot doing here?"

Bill stood up. "Hello, Tonks, Shacklebolt. We have a situation. Did the goblins tell you why you were here?"

"Yes, he said it involved a possible stolen child," Tonks said.

The twins scowled. "There's nothing possible about it. There was a stolen child," George said as he glanced at Harry.

Tonks followed his gaze to Harry. "Wait, you're saying Harry was stolen?"

Bill nodded and pointed to the parchment on the table. "The proof is right there.

Kingsley went over to examine it. "Dear, Merlin!"

"What does it say?" Tonks wondered.

"Prewett Septimus Weasley," Kingsley said.

Tonks looked at Bill in shock. "He's related to you?"

Bill nodded. "He's Ron's twin."

"Twin?" Harry asked in surprise. He didn't know he and Ron were twins, though he probably should've figured it out by now. He and Ron were the same age. He felt another wave of betrayal. He and Ron were twins. They could've had the same kind of relationship that Fred and George had if Sirius and James hadn't taken that from them. Sure, they were best friends, but it could've been even better if they'd gotten to grow up together.

"Yes, you and Ron are twins, Harry," Bill told him.

"Okay, I think it's safe to say this is a matter for the DMLE. We need to go to the ministry," Tonks said.

Harry's eyes widened. "What? No!" He didn't want to go to the Ministry. He didn't trust the ministry after everything the minister was doing to him.

"Harry, we don't have a choice. Kidnapping is extremely serious in our world. We're obligated to report it," Bill said.

"Bill is right, Harry. But don't worry, you won't have to deal with the minister. Well, he may be there, but Madam Bones will be the one posing questions to you and handling the investigation," Tonks told him.

"I don't have a choice?" Harry asked.

They all shook their heads.

"Fine. Let's get this over with," Harry said as he stood up. He didn't want to do it, but he knew there was no way out of it.

"We'll take the floo. Come on," Tonks said before she and Kingsley led the way out of the room. The four present Weasley boys followed them out.


	7. Chapter 7

The Weasley boys followed Tonks and Kingsley through the Ministry towards the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Bill had his hand on Harry's shoulder as they walked for comfort. He knew it was a trying day for the boy and that it would only get worse.

Tonks and Kingsley turned at a sign that said 'Department of Magical Law Enforcement. They walked down the hall and stopped in front of a door halfway down. Tonks turned to the Weasleys. "You lot wait here while we talk to Madam Bones."

Bill nodded. He watched them go inside before turning to the twins. "You two go find Dad. He should still be here."

Harry stiffened at the mention of Mr. Weas… his father. What was he going to say when he found out? Would he be upset? Would he be angry? Would he want Harry to be his son? Would his mother? Sure, they'd always treated him well and he'd even heard his Mrs Weasl… er, his mother say she thought of him as her son, but it was easy to say that when it wasn't true, as was it easier to take care of someone for a few weeks out of the year rather than be their parent. What if they changed their minds when they learned the truth?

Bill noticed his brother's apprehension. "It's okay, Harry. He won't be angry with you," he said before motioning for the twins to go.

They both nodded and left.

Bill ushered Harry over to the two chairs right outside Madam Bones' office and sat him down. He then sat in the other chair. "It's going to be okay, Harry."

"I can't believe this was happening. All I wanted was to find out who I really was. I didn't think it would turn into a circus. I didn't think the goblins would call the aurors," Harry said.

"I'm not surprised you didn't think they'd get involved. Goblins rarely involve themselves in our affairs. But kidnapping is serious. It's a crime of one of the tallest orders," Bill said.

"That's what Ron said. He said a person guilty of kidnapping pays a steep price," Harry said.

Bill nodded. "If James Potter had lived, this would end him."

"Will Sirius pay the same price?" Harry asked. He wasn't sure how to feel about Sirius possibly getting into trouble. He was so angry at Sirius and felt so betrayed by him, but he also couldn't help but still care about him. He'd spent two years caring about Sirius. He couldn't just turn that off no matter how much he wanted to.

"So Sirius was involved? He didn't just find out recently?" Bill asked. He'd tried to give Black the benefit of the doubt. Tried to believe that the man had just found out and did the right thing. Apparently Black wasn't that honorable though. Hell, he wasn't even so honorable that he came clean because the guilt finally got to him. No, he came forward because Harry was changing and he knew the truth would come out anyway.

Harry shook his head. "No, he knew since day one. He agreed to keep what James did a secret because they were friends. So what will happen to him? Ron thinks he'll go to prison. Is he right?"

"It's hard to say. It depends on the prison term for this sort of thing. The last kidnapping was decades ago, certainly before my time. But I heard that the person got thirty years in Azkaban. But that was for a pureblood heir. The laws are a tad bit more lenient when you're not an heir of a wealthy pureblood family. If it's lenient enough, Black might get time served if he's ever exonerated for the crimes he didn't commit. But he'll still pay a high price, as well anyone else with the Black name. His fortune will be forfeit. Half of it will go to you while the rest will be frozen until they can decide what to do with it. And the Black family will be labeled blood traitors," Bill explained. Yes, Black would pay dearly. It didn't seem enough to him though. No amount of money or prison time for Black would erase the years of agony he and Potter had put their family through. No, it wasn't enough. It would never be enough.

Harry nodded. Ron had basically told him the same thing, but this made it all that much more real. Sirius really was incredibly stupid for doing what he did.

Just then, Tonks came back out. "Madam Bones is ready for you, Harry.

Harry stood up nervously and took a deep breath.

Bill stood as well. "I'm going with him," he said leaving no room for argument. He was the oldest brother. That meant that without their parents, making sure Harry was safe and secure was his responsibility.

Tonks nodded and led the way inside.

Bill and Harry walked inside to see Kingsley standing behind the desk next to a woman with grey hair.

"Have a seat, gentlemen," the woman said.

Harry sat down in one of the chairs in front of the desk while Bill took the other.

The woman smiled at Harry. "Hello, Mr. Potter. As I'm sure you've guessed, I'm Madam Bones. I head up this department."

"Hello, Madam," Harry greeted politely.

"Now I can understand how upsetting this situation must be for you. Aurors Tonks and Shacklebolt have explained the basics of the situation, but I need to ask you some questions if that's alright," Madam Bones said.

Harry nodded. It wasn't like he really had a choice in the matter.

"Excellent. Now, do you know how you ended up with the Potter family despite the fact that you weren't a Potter?" Madam Bones asked.

"Yeah. The real Harry Potter died at birth. James Potter saw me in the nursery and decided to take me so that he didn't have to tell his wife that she'd lost their child," Harry explained.

"You seem quite confident about that. Someone must have told you. Who was it?"

Harry hesitated. He couldn't answer that question without telling Madam Bones that he'd been in contact with Sirius. That would put not just Sirius in danger but a lot of other people as well, including every member of his family. They could all get in a lot of trouble for harboring Sirius.

Bill could see the problem his brother was having. "Tell her, Harry. The truth is going to come out anyway."

Harry sighed. "Sirius Black told me, Ma'am."

Madam Bones raised both eyebrows. "You've been in contact with Sirius Black? How are you still alive?" It was common knowledge that Sirius Black wanted Harry Potter dead. Yet, here he was in front of her after being in contact with the man.

Harry spent the next few minutes explaining everything that went down two years ago, from learning that Peter Pettigrew was the one to betray the Potters to the minister calling him delusional.

"Would you be willing to put your memories of that night in a pensieve?" Madam Bones asked.

Harry nodded. He wasn't as excited about it as he would've been even just a week ago. For one, Sirius would probably go back to prison anyway, and for another, he had mixed feelings about that.

"Good. Where is Mr. Black now?" Madam Bones asked.

"His location is under the Fidelius Charm, Madam. We can't tell you his location. Believe me when I tell you, I would if I could," Bill said. He no longer gave a damn about protecting Black. He deserved anything the ministry could do to him and then some. He just wished he could reveal his location.

"But your family has been harboring him."

"Us and others. We didn't want to see an innocent man have his soul sucked out, so we helped," Bill said.

"Rather ironic," Madam Bones commented.

Just then there was a knock at the door.

"Enter," Madam Bones said.

The door opened revealing Arthur and the twins.

Harry shifted uncomfortably and looked down at his lap.

"Arthur, please come in," Madam Bones said.

Arthur walked inside with his twin sons and then closed the door. "The twins said that I needed to come down here, but they wouldn't tell me why. What's going on?"

"Mr. Weasley, would you like to tell your father what has happened?" Madam Bones asked Bill.

Bill stood up and took a deep breath, preparing to tell his father news that would shock him to the core.


	8. Chapter 8

Arthur was more than a little worried. The looks on all his children's faces were serious, even Fred and George's and they were rarely ever serious. Bill's face looked a cross between happy and angry. Harry, meanwhile, would not even look at him. His head was cast down to the floor and he looked extremely nervous. Something was definitely wrong. "Bill, what is it? What is it you need to tell me?"

Bill sighed. "I…I'm not sure how to tell you this. It's going to come as more than a shock to you."

"Whatever it is, son, just say it," Arthur urged his firstborn. He was getting more worried by the second, especially since the more Bill talked, the more he could see Harry tense. He had the feeling that whatever this was had to do with him.

"This afternoon, the twins and Harry went to Gringotts so that Harry could take the lineage test," Bill started.

"The lineage test," Arthur repeated. Of course he knew why Harry would want to take the test. With his change in appearance, several members of the order thought that maybe Harry taking it was best, as his paternity was heavily in question, but they'd decided to wait another week to see if anything changed before even mentioning to Harry that James Potter might not be his father.

"Yeah. The goblins came into my office soon after the test was conducted and said I was needed. When I saw the results, I was shocked. I barely had time to digest it before aurors showed up," Bill said.

"Aurors?" Arthur asked in surprise. Aurors never got involved in paternity issues. Not unless it was an issue of kidnapping, which shouldn't be the case with Harry.

"Yes, Arthur. It appears that Harry here was stolen from birth by James Potter," Madam Bones interjected.

"Stolen?!" Arthur asked in shock and horror. Taking a child from his parents in their world was unimaginable. It happened in the past, but very infrequently. The price was much higher than most witches and wizards were willing to risk paying. It was a fate worse than death to most, especially purebloods, as it would mean the end of their fortunes and their reputations. The ministry cracked down hard on this issue. It was one law that Arthur wholeheartedly agreed with. He'd helped bring eight children into this world, one of which he'd lost. He knew the pain of losing a child and he knew there was no recovering from it. Anyone who intentionally caused that kind of torture deserved whatever they got.

"Could I see the copy of the lineage test, Madam Bones? I don't think he'll let himself believe it unless he sees it with his own eyes," Bill said.

"Certainly," Madam Bones said before picking up the piece of parchment with the results on it and handed it out for Bill.

Bill took it and walked over to his father. "Yes, Dad, Harry was stolen. From us," he said before holding up the results for his father to see.

Arthur had pretty much the same reaction as the others when he saw his dead son's name on the parchment. He gasped in shock before taking the parchment from Bill. He stared at it for some time, as if the results would change or disappear.

After several seconds, Arthur looked over at Harry… at his son. He couldn't even describe the pure joy he felt when he looked at him. He'd always considered Harry as one of his own children. The boy had been a part of his life and his children's for years now, and he'd always felt a connection to him. He knew Molly did too. But to find out beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was his boy, his Prewett…? He couldn't describe it.

Meanwhile, Harry had ducked his head even further down. He could feel his father staring at him and he had no idea what to say. He couldn't even bring himself to look at the man out of fear of what he'd see. He was just so afraid of being of being rejected. He'd been rejected most of his life by family, or those he thought were his family. He wouldn't be able to stand it from his own father.

Arthur slowly walked over to Harry and knelt in front of him. "Harry? Son, please look at me."

Harry took several deep breaths before reluctantly raising his eyes to meet his father's. What he saw wasn't rejection. It was happiness and shock.

Arthur just stared at his boy for a minute. He looked at him like he never looked at him before. There was no denying that he was a Weasley. He had all their physical traits. Honestly, he should've seen it during the last couple of days, but he supposed he didn't because it didn't seem possible. But it was. This was his son.

Arthur could take it no longer. He grabbed his son and pulled him into a huge hug.

Harry was taken completely by surprise by this action. He wasn't expecting it. He wasn't sure how to respond to it. This whole thing was just so shocking and overwhelming that he wasn't sure how to deal with it yet.

Arthur pulled away after a moment. It just occurred to him that Harry might not want him to hug him. The kid had just found out they were father and son. Yes, they'd known each other for years, but this was the first time he was meeting him as his father. It was probably a little much for him without Arthur making physical contact. "I'm sorry."

"I…it's okay," Harry said meekly. He wasn't sure what else to say. What was he supposed to say in a situation like this? It was so strange. All his life he wished to have living parents, but now that he had it, he didn't know how to react to it.

"I'm so sorry, son. I never should've believed you were dead. I should've found you," Arthur said with tears in his eyes.

"Dad, this is not your fault. You had no way of knowing you'd been duped. The only ones to blame are James Potter and Sirius Black," Bill said.

Arthur stood up and frowned at his oldest son. "Sirius? What does he have to do with this?"

"He knew, Dad," George said.

"The bastard knew the whole time that Harry wasn't the Potters' and he did nothing!" Fred spat.

"He knew," Arthur repeated with a small growl. He'd helped to hide Sirius Black. He protected him. And all the while, the bastard had been withholding his son. He'd allowed him and his family to think that their son or brother was dead! Arthur could kill the man for that.

"Arthur?" Madam Bones called.

Arthur turned to face her.

"I realize you're upset right now. Rest assured, Sirius Black will answer for what he did. But first I need you to point me to whom I can get his location from," Madam Bones said.

Arthur hesitated and looked at Harry. Oh, it wasn't that he had any problem with Sirius paying for what he did. He wanted Sirius to pay dearly for what he did. But Harry cared about Sirius. He'd spent two years idolizing the man. Arthur could quite possibly be alienating his son by turning Sirius in. But on the other hand, Sirius would likely be found anyway. He certainly wouldn't protect him anymore and he doubted anyone else in the Order would either after what he did.

Arthur went back over to his newfound son. "Harry, I have no choice here. Sirius has to pay for what he's done. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded. He still had so many mixed feelings were Sirius was concerned, but no matter what those feelings were, one thing was clear. Sirius deserved to pay for what he did.

Arthur turned back to Madam Bones. "Talk to Dumbledore. He can tell you where he is, and he'd better do just that."

"Alright, thank you," Madam Bones said politely.

"Can I take my son home," Arthur asked. Just looking at Harry, he could see that the boy was emotionally spent. He needed to go home and rest. And honestly, Arthur was anxious to finally take his boy home to stay.

"Of course. Harry, I'll get those pensieve memories regarding Black from you another day. You can go on home with your family," Madam Bones said.

Harry stood up and was led out by his father. Bill and the twins followed behind them.

Once outside, Arthur turned to the Twins. "You two take Harry back to the Burrow. Bill and I are going to get the other and all our things." He refused to take Harry back to Headquarters. He would not have his son spend another minute in Sirius Black's presence.

Fred and George were both less than thrilled to not be able to go with their father. They wanted exact their own brand of revenge for what had been taken from their family. But both boys understood the need to get Harry home. They had to put him first. "Sure, Dad. We'll see you later."

"Come on, Harry. Let's go find a fireplace," Fred said before he and George started walking away.

"So why do you need me to come with you, Dad?" Bill asked. He knew his father was more than capable of getting the rest of the family and their things together without his help.

"To help prevent a murder from occurring," Arthur said. He knew that even if he could contain his anger, which wasn't likely, Molly would have enough murderous rage for both of them.

"I'm sure how much help I'll be there, but alright, let's go," Bill said before they both apparated out.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Okay, I know Ron was actually born in March, but for this story, he was actually born at the end of July, like Harry.**

Arthur was seething as he and Bill apparated into Headquarters and through the hall. He had not calmed down in the slightest. In fact, if anything, the more the shock of what he'd learned wore off, the angrier he got.

Apparently Arthur wasn't the only one angry. He could hear Molly screaming wherever she was in the house. He could only imagine how much more her ire would increase once he told her about Harry and how James Potter and Sirius Black had kept him from them.

Arthur and Bill followed Molly's yelling into the kitchen. She was there with Ron and Hermione and was going at it with Ron. Dumbledore, Severus, Remus, and Sirius were there as well.

"I can't believe you, Ronald Weasley! You know the kind of danger Harry is in right now! How could you let your brothers take him out of this house without telling anyone?!"

Ron cringed. His mum had come after him as soon as she got back and realized Harry and the twins were gone. It hadn't taken her long to realize that he knew very well what was going on.

"Now, Molly, calm down. I'm sure Young Ronald had a good reason. However, no matter the reason, Mr. Weasley, I think it's important that you tell us where Harry is," Dumbledore said kindly.

"Isn't it obvious, Headmaster? The boy is out somewhere causing some kind of trouble in hopes of gaining attention. As if the brat doesn't get enough as it is," Severus sneered.

Arthur felt a burst of anger at Severus' words regarding his son, but forced himself to squash it down. He was trying to make himself calmer, not get even more riled up.

Arthur walked further into the room and made his presence known. "Molly."

Molly turned to her husband. "Arthur, thank goodness. I tried to fire call you, but you'd already left. Arthur, Harry and the twins are missing. We have no idea where they are."

"They're at the Burrow," Arthur told his wife.

Molly was quite surprised to hear that. "The Burrow? What are they doing there?"

Instead of answering, Arthur turned to Ron and Hermione. "Ron, Hermione, go on upstairs and pack your things. Tell, Ginny to pack as well. We're going home." His family wasn't going to spend another hour in that house. He was taking them home. Hermione would be coming as well, as her parents had entrusted her with them.

"Dad, what's going on?" Ron asked. He was completely confused. First, Harry and twins were apparently at the Burrow instead of Gringotts and now his father was telling him they were all going. That was confusing because they'd been told in the beginning of the summer that they were staying at Headquarters until they went back to Hogwarts. His parents were going to be staying much longer.

"Just do as I say, Ron," Arthur said firmly.

The tone in his father's voice was enough to get him moving. His father was rarely ever that firm. It was his mother that handled that.

Molly watched as her son and Hermione left their view before questioning her husband. "Arthur, what is going on? We agreed that we would be staying here to help the Order."

"Yes, well, things have changed," Arthur said.

"Arthur, perhaps you'd like to tell us exactly what has changed. Does this have anything to do with whatever has happened with Harry and the twins?" Dumbledore asked.

"Harry is at the Burrow and that is exactly where he will stay. He will never set in this house again," Arthur said firmly.

"With all due respect, Arthur, who are you to make that decision?" Sirius asked irritably.

That did it for Arthur. He'd been trying to remain calm, and for the most part, he thought he was doing a pretty good job. But all that changed when Sirius dared to open his mouth. When Sirius Black dared to question a decision he made for his own son, a son Sirius had stolen from him, he lost all hold on his temper and grabbed Sirius by the robes. He then angry slammed the man against the closest wall, shocking absolutely everyone. "Who am I? Who am I?! I'm the man whose child you stole!"

Everyone else in the room was shocked at Arthur's revelation, nobody more so than Molly. Her husband had just claimed that Sirius had stolen a child of theirs, but that was impossible. All their children were either with them now or safe elsewhere. Well, there was… No, it wasn't him. He died fifteen years ago. It had been the worst thing to ever happen to their family and Molly wished every day that it hadn't happened, but she had to except that her baby was gone.

Sirius stared wide-eyed at the angry man in front of him. He tried to convince himself that he'd heard wrong, but he knew he hadn't. According to Arthur, Harry was his son and he and James had taken him from him. When he thought back to Harry's appearance, he could see it. Harry looked like a Weasley, more though, he looked like Arthur. He'd done it. He'd done it. He'd taken a child from people that would be nothing but kind to him, people who would hide him from those that wanted to see him Kissed.

"Arthur, what are you talking about?" Remus asked in shock. Arthur couldn't have really meant what he just said. Sirius would never steal a child from him. He would never steal a child from anyone.

"Arthur, I understand you're angry right now, but I think you should calm down so we can figure things out," Dumbledore said calmly.

Arthur looked around at the shocked and horrified faces of the other occupants, particularly his wife's. That wasn't how he meant to tell her. It was just that hearing Sirius challenge his right to make a choice for his own son had sent his already boiling anger over the edge.

Arthur finally let go of Sirius and went over to Molly. He took her by the shoulders. "I'm sorry, dear. I didn't mean for you to find out like that."

"Find out what? What is going on?" Molly asked desperately.

Meanwhile, Remus turned to Sirius for answers. "Sirius, what's going on? Arthur is mistaken, right?"

Sirius wished with everything in him that he could tell Remus that it was all a misunderstanding. He wished he could tell Remus that and it be true. But he couldn't. "No. No, he's not. I…I took his son.

There was a collective gasp from everyone else besides Arthur and Bill. Dumbledore was of course the first to recover. "Sirius, I think you should explain yourself."

Sirius took a deep breath. "Okay, I didn't actually take him myself, but I was there just after it happened. Lily had just given birth to her son. But he died."

"What?" Remus asked in disbelief. "No. That's not possibly. Harry's alive. Come on, Sirius, you've seen him. He saved you from the dementors. He's been in your house for the past week."

Sirius shook his head sadly. "No. A boy with his name exists, but it's not him. It's not James and Lily's son, not by blood. James was so devastated by the loss of his son and he was terrified at the prospect of Lily losing him as well.

"So he decided to pass that pain onto someone else," Bill said with a fierce glare.

Molly was positively shaking. She knew that Harry was born at relatively the same time as her own sons. She also knew that her baby had seemed fine at first. Then all of a sudden, he was gone. Could it really be possible? Could Harry really be hers in more than just her heart?

"Sirius, you condoned the theft of someone else's child?" Dumbledore asked in utter disappointment.

"I didn't condone it. I knew when I chose to help James that I was selling my soul, but there was nothing I could do," Sirius said.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, he didn't have a gun to your head, Black. Still making excuses for your utter foulness I see," Severus sneered.

"Shut up, Snivellus. I'll be damned if I get lectured by you," Sirius snarled. He hated what he did, but he was not going to be judged by a death eater.

"You're damned either way, Black. You stole a child and you dare stand there and act like you're somehow a victim?" Severus asked irritably.

"I didn't say that!" Sirius yelled.

"Stop!" Molly yelled, drawing everyone's attention. She then turned to her husband. "Arthur is it true? Harry, he's…"

Arthur nodded. "He's ours, dear. He's Prewett. Our boy didn't die that day."

Molly took a minute to let the happiness and relief wash over her. Her baby boy was alive. The pain and agony that she woke up with every day was finally over. Her son was alive and well.

With happiness came anger though. Molly soon realized that it was true. Sirius had stolen her son from her. She'd taken a brother away from the rest of her children. She'd forced them to grieve. Ron and Ginny didn't know that they had a brother and the twins hadn't found out until just a few years ago, but the others had been utterly devastated from day one. None of them had ever recovered.

"Mum, are you alright?" Bill asked cautiously. He saw the different emotions and could tell that his mother was very close to exploding.

Molly zeroed in on Sirius. "You stole my son. You stole my son!" she yelled before leaping after him.

Arthur and Bill both held Molly back to keep her from killing Sirius.

"You bastard, you took my son away! You let us think he was dead! You are a monster!" Molly yelled as she tried to get passed her husband and son.

"Molly, please, I'm sorry," Sirius said guiltily.

"You're sorry you got caught, Black. That's all you've ever been sorry for," Severus sneered.

"Don't tell me how I feel, Snape!" Sirius growled.

"How you feel? You and Potter took a child that didn't belong to you. You knowingly left us to grieve. And you want to talk about your feelings. You may very well have ruined my brother's life," Bill said seriously.

."You're going to pay for this, you Mongrel! I will make you pay!" Molly yelled.

"Arthur, perhaps it would be best if you all did go home," Dumbledore said. While he believed that Headquarters was the safest place for Harry besides Hogwarts, he knew it would not be safe for Sirius if they stayed. Besides, not even he was stupid enough to tell Molly that her son couldn't stay at her house.

Arthur nodded "Come on, dear. Harry deserves our attention more than this bastard does. We need to go home."

Molly glared icily at Sirius before allowing Arthur and Bill to lead her upstairs.


	10. Chapter 10

Dumbledore waited for the Weasleys to leave before addressing Sirius. "I must say, Sirius, for once, I find myself at a loss. I cannot begin to understand how it is you thought stealing someone else's child was a good idea."

"I'd like to know that myself," Remus said. He was reeling from all of this. In less than a half hour, he'd learned that one of his best friend's son was not really his son and that he and other friend had stolen the boy from his real family. It was like he didn't know James or Sirius at all.

"He was my best friend," Sirius said.

"He was mine too! Do you think that means that I would've done what you did? No, not for one second. I would've convinced him of how utter insane he was being and made him return the child! That's what you should've done! But instead you damned an entire family to a lifetime of grief. Not to mention what you've done to Harry. How many times has Harry talked about how much he hated this muggle family? He was ready to live with you after less than an hour with you. That should've told you something. You could've given him his wish even just then. You could've gotten him away from those hateful muggles," Remus said.

"More than that though, Sirius, you placed Harry in extreme danger. I left him with the Dursleys because of blood wards that I thought would protect him. It is quite obvious now that those did nothing to protect him, as he was never related to Lily Potter or her sister," Dumbledore said. Honestly, Harry's protection wasn't the only thing that worried him. His reason for needing it was also heavily in question. Harry no longer completely fit the criteria for the child of the prophecy. He was not born completely as the seventh month died. Unless he was mistaken, Molly gave birth to her children a day before Lily and James' child was born. They also had not defied Voldemort thrice. While it was true, Harry was marked, that was the only thing in common he had with the prophecy.

"I…I was afraid," Sirius admitted. He had been terrified that Harry would hate him for what he'd done. Harry might not have truly been his godson, but he still loved him like he was.

"You should be afraid, Black. You're an idiot. You were born and raised in one of the oldest pureblood families there are. You knew the laws. You knew how serious kidnapping is taken in our world. They're going to bury you for this. The weasleys may be one of the nicest families in our world, but do you really think they're going to let you get away with stealing their child," Severus asked with a smirk. He couldn't help it, he was enjoying this. Black and Potter were finally being seen for what he'd always known they were, Spoiled, arrogant fools who thought they were entitled to anything, even someone else's son.

"He's right. How could you be so foolish? You're done. Even if you did manage to clear your name on the other charges, they will come down hard on you for taking Harry, as they should. I really hope it was worth it. I hope it was worth sacrificing your family legacy and possibly your freedom, not to mention destroying a young boy and his family," Remus said. Then, deciding he couldn't take anymore, he left the room.

"I hope you know I will not protect from this, Sirius. I will not turn you in now to be Kissed for a crime you didn't commit, but once you're exonerated, you are on your own," Dumbledore warned. He could not and would not condone what Sirius and James did to the Weasley family. Sirius had to face the consequences for that.

Sirius nodded before leaving the room himself.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Arthur and Molly were in their room at Headquarters packing their things. Bill had gone down the hall to pack for the twins and Harry.

Molly was furiously packing her things, the key word being 'furiously'. Oh, she was so angry. She was tempted to go back downstairs and curse Sirius to hell for what he did. He had stolen her son. She'd missed out on fifteen years of his life. Well, okay, not fully fifteen years. She'd been able to spend some time with Harry over the last five years, but it wasn't nearly as much as she should've been able to. Harry was hers! He should've grown up with her, Arthur and his brothers and sister. When he went off to school, he should've been able to come home to them every holiday for the entire holiday. Instead, he was raised by people who didn't have any business around any child, let alone hers. He'd lived a life of loneliness that no child should ever have to endure. That was all thanks to Sirius Black and James Potter. Oh, how Molly hated them. James Potter had managed to escape by dying, but Sirius Black would answer for what he'd done to her family. He would pay dearly.

"Molly, are you alright?" Arthur asked. They had been packing and all of a sudden Molly had just stopped.

The question finally brought Molly out of her thoughts. "I will be fine once we are out of here and I can take Harry in my arms. H…how did he react to everything? You never said."

"He was overwhelmed, obviously. I think he might of feared rejection," Arthur said.

"What?" Molly asked in horror. The very thought of one of Harry fearing rejection from them broke her heart. She loved Harry so much, even before learning he was her son. She could never reject him.

"He would barely look at me. I think it was because he was afraid I'd turn my back on him. I can't really blame him. He hasn't exactly had good luck with family in the past," Arthur said.

Molly went back to her packing only more quickly now. It didn't take long to finish, as they were using magic for most things. When they were done, she grabbed her trunk and turned to her husband. "Let's get the children and get out of her."

"Wait. There's something we need to do first," Arthur said.

"Arthur, I want to go home. I want to see Harry," Molly said. She had yet to be able to see her son as her son. She wanted to see him. She wanted to take him into her arms. She didn't want to wait another moment.

"I know, but first we need to talk with Ron and Ginny. They don't even know they have another brother. We need to tell them that they do and that that brother is Harry. It wouldn't be right to do that at the house with Harry there," Arthur said.

Molly knew Arthur was right. The younger children needed to be told the truth before they went home. As much as she wanted to see Harry, it would have to wait just a bit longer. "You're right. Let's go," she said before leading the way out of the room.


	11. Chapter 11

Ron was in his room at Grimmauld Place. His stuff was already packed, courtesy of Bill who had come in a few moments ago and helped him finish magically. His brother was now packing Harry's things.

Ron was baffled by what was going on. Why had Harry and the twins gone to the Burrow? Why were they going there now? And why in Merlin's name were his parents so angry? His mother being angry was one thing. That wasn't exactly unusual. But his father hardly ever yelled. In fact, Ron could count on his hands how many times his father raised his voice. Yet, not too long after they'd been sent up to pack, he'd heard his father scream, followed quickly by his mother's angry voice.

Ron supposed it could be about Harry. That his parents had discovered what Sirius had done when Harry was a baby. They had always considered Harry like the rest of them and they might be outraged on his behalf. But that didn't explain Bill's presence or the anger Ron could clearly see both when he first showed up and even now as he packed for Harry.

Ron finally had enough and decided he was going to get answers from his older brother. "Okay, what's going on? Why are we suddenly picking up and leaving? Why was Dad screaming? He never yells.

Bill had to give Ron some credit. He'd waited a good five minutes after he came in before demanding answers. He'd sort of expected Ron to bombard him with questions the moment he entered the room. "Ron, I know you want answers, but you're going to have to wait for Mum and Dad."

Ron huffed. He did not like his brother's answer much. He wanted answers now. "Come on, Bill, just tell me! What's going on?"

Just then, Hermione and Ginny came into the room with their trunks. "We're all packed. What's going on though? Why are we leaving?" Ginny asked.

"That's what I've been trying to find out, but Bill won't tell me anything?" Ron grumbled.

Bill sighed. "Look, I know this is confusing, guys, but you'll have to wait just a bit longer."

As if on cue, Arthur and Molly walked in. "Are you all packed?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah. What's going on?" Ron asked.

"Uh, Harry's all packed her. So are the twins. Their stuff is in their room and it's all shrunk. I'm going to leave you all alone," Bill said. This was something his parents should discuss with his brother and sister alone.

"Will you be at the house later?" Molly asked hopefully. After everything they'd learned, she felt it was important for them all to come together.

"Yeah. I'm going to go home and get some things together. Then I'm going to see if I can't get ahold of Charlie. We should be together right now," Bill said. He was also going to see if he couldn't pull Percy's head out of his ass, but in case that didn't work, he didn't want to get his mother's hopes up.

"Alright, we'll see you at home, son," Arthur said.

Bill quickly apparated out.

Arthur turned back to the children and sighed. "You should sit down. There is something we must tell you."

"Um, maybe I should leave," Hermione said. Whatever this was, it seemed like a family thing. She felt like she was intruding.

"No, dear, stay. This is something you need to hear as well," Molly said. Hermione was best friends with both Harry and Ron. She was practically family. She had just as much a right to know as Ron and Ginny.

All three children sat down on Ron's bed.

"Ron, Ginny, I'm afraid we've been keeping something from you. We want you to know that the only reason we did it was to protect you. We didn't want you to feel the same pain that the rest of us felt," Arthur said.

Ron suddenly had a good idea of what this was about. He always knew there was something that his family kept from him, something that caused members of his family immense pain. He'd asked Percy about it once, but he was told to drop it and not mention it to their parents. He'd obeyed the order because he remembered the shot of pain that crossed his brother's face. He knew it was bad and he didn't want to cause his family pain. Now it was different though. Now he had to ask. "Does this have anything to do with Mum crying sometimes on my birthday?"

"You saw that?" Molly asked surprised. She thought she'd hidden her pain so well from the younger children. Obviously she was wrong.

Ron and Ginny both nodded. They'd both seen it.

Hermione, meanwhile, fidgeted. She felt so out of place right now. This seemed like a deeply personal thing that she had no business being a part of.

"Well, yes it does have to do with that," Arthur told his son. "We love you, Ron, and your birthday has always been a celebration, just has it has been for your brothers and sister. I hope you realize that. But there was a sad element of it too."

"What happened?" Ron asked.

"There's no gentle way to say this, so I'll just say it. Ron, you have a twin brother," Arthur said.

Ron's mouth slowly went wide with shock. That one sentence had left him almost speechless. "I… What?"

"Ron has a twin? We have another brother?" Ginny asked just as shocked as her brother.

Molly nodded. "His name was Prewett. He and Ron are fraternal twins."

"Well, where is he?" Ginny asked once a little of the shock wore off. She was still plenty shocked, but she was also curious about the brother she never knew.

"I think it's obvious, don't you? He's dead," Ron said. It was the only thing that made sense. His mother crying on his birthday, the way Percy looked when he asked it, how his parents said they kept it a secret to protect him and Ginny. It was all because his twin had died.

"Actually, no, he didn't. We thought he had, but we were wrong," Arthur said.

"What?" Ginny asked in confusion.

"There was a situation the day after the boys were born. A baby died at the hospital and we thought our baby died, but it turns out it was someone else," Molly said.

Blood began to drain from Ron's face as he began to figure it out. Harry had supposedly been born the day after him and they'd just learned that Sirius and James Potter had stolen him from his family. That combined with the way his parents had been acting told him all he needed to know. "Bloody hell. It's Harry."

Arthur nodded. "Yes. Harry is your brother."

"Oh, bloody hell," Ginny said cringing. She thought about how she was with Harry when they first met. She'd realized a long time ago that she never really had a crush on Harry, but on the 'Boy Who Lived' persona. Still though, it was very creepy to think about.

"It actually makes sense. Harry now looks a lot like your family, Ron, and the two of you have always had a brotherly relationship," Hermione said. While it was very surprising that her two best friends were related, it also seemed right somehow.

"So Sirius took Harry away from us," Ron said angrily. He had been a bit angry before at Sirius and James Potter for the pain they'd caused his best friend. Now he was also angry on a more personal level. Those two gits had taken his brother away from him. They could've grown up together. They could've been as close as Fred and George. But that chance was taken away from them because James Potter decided it was okay to replace his dead son with someone else's.

Ron's anger continued to build until it reached its boiling point. He angrily bolted up and ran for the door. He was going to confront Sirius for what he did to his family.

"Ron, no!" Hermione exclaimed. She knew what her friend was going to do and it was a bad idea. It wasn't going to fix anything that had happened.

Arthur grabbed his son before he even reached the door. "Son, don't! I know you're angry right now. We all are, but going after Sirius right now isn't going to do any good.

"He took Harry away from us! He made him live with people who hated him!" Ron yelled as he struggled to get away from his father.

"I know and he'll pay, I promise, but right now Harry needs us. We have to put our anger aside to him, okay?" Arthur asked.

Ron took several deep breaths and thought about his… brother. Merlin that sounded weird even in his mind. Harry had always been his brother in his heart, but it was weird to know that he really was. Anyway, his father was right. Helping Harry was the important thing right now. "Okay."

Arthur slowly released his son. "Do any of you have any questions before we go home?"

"Harry knows, right?" Ginny asked.

Arthur nodded. "He does. He took the lineage test today at Gringotts. That's how we found out."

"I want to go home. I want to see Harry," Ron said.

"We all do, son. I'm going to go get the twins' things and then we'll go home," Arthur said. He then left the room to do just that.


	12. Chapter 12

Harry was laying in Ron's room at the Burrow. He'd told the twins that he wanted to try to get some sleep, but that was a lie. He knew there was no way he could possibly get any sleep, not after the day he'd had.

Instead, Harry glanced around the room. He looked at the Burrow in ways he never had before. This was his home. It was the house he was meant to grow up in. The place he should've been able to say he belonged. As a child, he had no such place. He could never call the Dursley's home. That was just a house he was stuck in until he became of age and was kicked out. This should've been his home. But it wasn't because of Sirius.

Harry's feelings for Sirius were so confusing. He felt so betrayed by the man. Sirius and James had taken everything from him. James had actually stolen him, but Sirius had known about it and done nothing. In many ways that was worse. Sirius knew how unhappy he was at the Dursley's. He knew that he would do just about anything for a family of his own. He could've given that to Harry, but he chose not to. He allowed him to go on miserable simply to protect himself. And yet, he still loved him. He didn't know how not to. He supposed that was the hardest part about this whole thing. He hated Sirius for what he did, but somehow he loved him too.

Harry sighed and stood up. He walked out of the room and towards the stairs. He heard the twins' voices as soon as he descended down the stairs. Their voices became more clear as he walked towards the living room.

"I can't believe we actually looked up to him," Fred was saying.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Think about how Mum and Dad feel. They actually agreed to help hide him. They agreed to help hide the man that took their son away. They must feel like fools right now," George said.

"Well, at least Black will pay for what he's done. He'd better anyway. Dumbledore had better turn the bastard in," Fred said.

"Fred," George said as his gaze went past his twin to Harry, who was standing in the doorway.

Fred turned and looked like a deer caught in the headlights when he saw Harry. "Oh, Harry. I'm sorry, I just…"

"It's okay. I know you hate him. A large part of me does to. A know he deserves to pay for what he's done," Harry said.

"Are you okay?" George asked.

"I don't know. This is just so unreal. I always wished something like this would happen. Well, not quite like this, but ever since I was a kid, I dreamed about family coming back for me, people who would love me. That was all I ever wanted. I wanted to know what it felt like to be loved," Harry said.

George stood up. "You were, mate. If nothing else, believe that. This family loved and missed you more than you could ever know. We were too young to ever really notice the difference, but Bill and Charlie said that your 'death' changed the family in many ways."

"It was really bad?" Harry asked.

The twins nodded. "Mum would cry sometimes on Ron's birthday, on your birthday," Fred told him.

Harry shuddered a little. He didn't like the idea of Mrs. Weas… his mother crying. He'd never seen that and he never wanted to. He never wanted to think of someone he cared so much about crying like that, especially over him.

Just then, they all heard a noise from the fireplace. They turned to see that Ron and Ginny had flood in. Seconds after them, Hermione joined, after her, their parents came.

Molly just stared at Harry for a moment. Then she rushed towards him and pulled him into her arms. "My baby. My beautiful boy."

For the first time, Harry felt awkward in Mrs. Weasley's embrace. She'd hugged him before, but it never felt weird then. He supposed it was because back then, he was hugging his best friend's mother. This was the first time it was his mother who had him in her arms

Molly could hardly believe she was holding her son, her Prewett, in her arms. She thought she'd never get the chance to do that again. She dreamed about it of course, but the dreams didn't do it justice. This was simply amazing. She'd never been so happy in her life.

After a couple of minutes, Molly finally pulled away. She then noticed the awkward, nerve wracked look on her son's face. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know. This is all just so… I just don't know," Harry said. He couldn't even articulate how he was feeling right now. He was still just so shocked and overwhelmed that he didn't know how to deal with everything.

"Your still in shock. It's alright," Arthur said.

"I'm sorry," Harry said. Honestly, he wasn't sure what he was apologizing for. He just somehow felt the need to say it.

"No!" Molly exclaimed before pulling the boy back into her arms. "You have nothing to apologize for! Nothing that has happened is your fault.

"I know. I just… Bloody hell, I don't know how to deal with this," Harry said before pulling away.

"That's okay, son. We realize how hard this is for you. We don't want you to feel pressured to please us or anything. You come to grips with everything at your own pace," Arthur said.

"What happens now?" Harry asked. He was pretty sure he would be living with the Weasley's now, at least he hoped so, but aside from that, he didn't know.

"I'm not entirely sure. I don't think any of us are. We'll figure it out together. We'll take it one day at a time. How does that sound?" Arthur asked.

Harry nodded that that was acceptable to him.

"Good. Now Bill was planning to come back later with Charlie, but if that's too much for you right now, we can hold them off," Arthur said. While, he did want at least most of the family together and he was sure Charlie would want to see Harry, they had to handle this at Harry's pace. The boys would understand.

"No. No, I want to see them," Harry said. And he did. He was nervous about seeing Charlie, but it had been alright with Bill, so he had hope that it would go over well with Charlie too. Percy he wasn't sure about. He was just glad that he didn't have to deal with that today.

"Okay, if you're sure," Arthur said.

Harry nodded. "I think I want to be alone for a little while though. I need to think some more."

"Of course, dear. Why don't you head upstairs and rest for a while?" Molly asked.

Harry nodded again and headed out of the room.

Ron was just itching to follow his brother upstairs. He wanted to talk to him. He wanted to tell him how happy he was that they were brothers. But he stopped himself from doing so. Harry needed time alone and he would respect that. There would be plenty of time for them to talk later. Because now, Harry was home.


	13. Chapter 13

After getting home, Bill went straight to the fireplace to fire call Charlie. His brother needed to be informed of what was going on immediately.

Charlie answered the call almost immediately. He looked extremely tired. "Hey, Brother."

"Hey, Charlie. Listen, I need you to step through. We need to talk," Bill said seriously.

"Uh, can it wait? I was up all night last night and all day today," Charlie said.

"I'm afraid it can't. We need to talk now," Bill said urgently.

"Is everything alright? Is someone hurt?" Charlie asked worriedly.

"No, no one's hurt, but we do have a family… issue," Bill said as he tried to find the right word to describe what was going on. It was more difficult than one might think. Harry being returned to them was the greatest thing that could ever happen, but it also came with a devastating betrayal, especially to Harry.

"Alright, I'm coming through," Charlie said. Seconds later, he stepped through the fire and was in his brother's cottage. "What's going on?"

Bill put his arm around his brother's shoulder and led him to the couch. "Come sit down. You'll want to be sitting for this."

Charlie went with his brother to the couch and they both sat down. "So what is it?"

Bill took a deep breath. "Well, today took a very unexpected turn. I was in my office when a goblin came to me and told me that I was needed in the testing room. That's where the lineage tests are performed. Anyway, when I got there, the twins and Harry were there."

"What were any of them doing taking a lineage test?" Charlie wondered. The twins certainly didn't need to take it. They knew all about their family line. While Harry might not know everything, he knew the basics. He knew that the Potters were his family and he was the only one left.

"Harry was taking it. Apparently, he'd been given the impression that the Potters were not his parents. And it turns out it was true," Bill said.

"What?" Charlie asked in surprise.

"The Potters had a child fifteen years ago, but he died not long after he was born," Bill said.

"But then what does that make Harry?" Charlie asked.

"It makes him a stolen child," Bill said through gritted teeth. Every time he thought about what had been done to Harry and the rest of their family, he felt blinding hot rage. What James and Sirius did to their family was irreversible. They got Harry back, but they would never get back what they'd lost. They would never forget the pain of thinking he was dead for fifteen years.

"What? The Potters Stole someone else's kid?!" Charlie asked in shock. That was unheard of. Okay, it wasn't completely unheard of. There were a few cases where it happened in the past, but they were few and far between. No one was too keen on committing financial and public suicide.

"No, not 'the Potters'. James Potter did it and Sirius Black knew about it. As far as I know, Lily Potter had no knowledge of it," Bill said. That was what Black had said anyway. And if she didn't know about it, she didn't deserve to be lumped in with Potter and Black. Not to mention that she had given her life for Harry. For that, Bill would always respect her.

"Bloody hell. So who are Harry's family? Who was he stolen from?" Charlie asked.

Bill looked his brother dead in eyes before answering. "From us."

Charlie just stared at his older brother for a minute. Then his mouth slowly gaped open. "I… What?"

Bill sighed. "Okay, you know that the Potters had their child the day after…"

"Ron and Prewett were born? Yeah, so did the Longbottoms. Are you saying that Harry and Prewett are…?" Charlie couldn't bring himself to finish. That would be everything any of them had ever wished for. For Prewett to be alive.

Bill nodded. "They're the same person. Harry's appearance has been changing lately. He looks a lot like Dad now. And today when the lineage test was completed, it listed Harry as Prewett Weasley.

Charlie was completely speechless for several minutes. He couldn't believe it. He never imagined something like this possibly. He remembered wishing that it could be, that he could know the brother that was taken from them, but he never thought it would actually happen.

After a few minutes, shock dissipated a little bit, but anger soon took its place. James Potter and Sirius Black had taken Harry away from them. He had been just few months shy of his eighth birthday when Harry and Ron were born, so he quite understood when his parents told him that his brother was dead. The younger ones hadn't been able to understand. Even Percy had a hard time fully grasping what it meant. But Charlie knew and so did Bill. They understood enough to feel an unimaginable amount of pain from his loss. Black and Potter had caused that, and for that, Charlie hated them.

"You alright, Brother," Bill asked. It was a stupid question, he knew. Of course he wasn't alright. He was reeling from the news. They all were.

"Please tell me Harry's home. Is he with Mum and Dad now?" Charlie asked.

Bill nodded. "He is. The twins brought him to the Burrow and Mum and Dad are taking the others home. They refused to stay at Black's for another moment."

"Good. What about Black? Is he back in prison yet?" Charlie asked.

"No, not yet, but the Ministry has been informed of the situation. The goblins called them and we all spoke with Madam Bones. She's going to talk to Dumbledore about getting Black's location," Bill said. She hadn't actually said that, but he knew that was what would happen. Amelia Bones was an ethical woman and she handled things according to procedure.

"He'd better give it to her," Charlie said firmly. He wanted Black to pay for what he'd done. He wanted him to suffer every torment imaginable, just like they had.

"Dumbledore was horrified by what Black had done, but I think he might be reluctant to turn him in. He'll probably worry about him getting the Kiss for the crimes against the Potters," Bill said.

"I don't care, Bill, I really don't. I don't care that he was imprisoned for crimes he didn't commit and I don't care what'll happen to him if he's not exonerated. I want him to pay for what he's done," Charlie said.

"He will, but I don't think letting him get Kissed is the answer. We may not care what happens to Black, but Harry still does. He can't help it. Black was his godfather, or so he thought. He can't just turn off his feelings for the man," Bill said. He knew his brother would realize that sooner or later. He was just angry about the whole thing, not that Bill could blame him.

Charlie stood up from the couch. "Let's go home. I want to see Harry."

"I know, so do I, but there's something we need to take care of first," Bill said as he too stood up.

"What?" Charlie asked. He couldn't think of anything more important than going to see their brother.

"Percy. No matter how much of a git he's been, he doesn't deserve to hear the truth from the papers. He needs to hear it from us," Bill said.

Charlie knew his brother was right. Percy hadn't been able to fully grasp what had happened to their brother at first, but when he did, he too was profoundly affected by it. It hurt him deeply. So, yes, he deserved to hear the truth from them. "Yeah, okay. Let's go."

Bill and Charlie immediately apparated out of the cottage


	14. Chapter 14

Percy Weasley was walking towards the minister's office when he heard yells coming from inside.

"This is preposterous! The boy is obviously lying to get attention!" the minister was yelling.

"Are you really that thick?! You can't fake a lineage test!" a voice Percy recognized as belonging to Madam Bones said.

"It must be Dumbledore! If anyone can do it he can. He's trying to ruin me!" Fudge said.

"You are getting extremely paranoid, Cornelius. How could this possibly ruin you? Ruin the Potter and Black families certainly, send the magical community into an uproar, definitely, but I fail to see how it affects you," Madam Bones said.

Percy's eyes widened. Whatever they were talking about was serious. They were talking about something that could ruin too major pureblood families. That was no easy task.

"Oh, I see now. You're talking about that farce of a trial you plan to hold in a few weeks. You're worried you won't be able to expel him now that he is under the protection of a pureblood family. Not to mention that even if you got the ruling, he wouldn't just disappear from our world, as he now as significant ties to our world," Madam Bones said.

"That is ridiculous! I am just trying to protect our world from the lies of a brat who's just looking to gain attention," Fudge said.

Percy was now certain that the two officials were talking about Harry Potter. He didn't know exactly what they were discussing, but apparently it was quite big. He found he agreed with the minister though. If Potter was involved, it probably was a lie.

"You're trying to protect yourself. Well, I won't allow that, not at the expense of justice being done. I do not care what you believe of Harry Potter's character. I will not allow you to bury the kidnapping of a young boy just because you don't like him. Harry Potter was stolen from his family as a baby and I intend to insure justice is done," Madam Bones said firmly.

Percy gasped at what he heard. They were talking about a kidnapping? He was well-versed in their laws, so he knew what that meant. Madam Bones was right. Something like that would cause in uproar and it would destroy any family involved.

"Lies!" Fudge yelled as he banged his hand on something.

Madam Bones Chuckled. "Oh, I would love to hear you say that to Molly Weasley. I would love to be there when you tell her that her son is a liar."

Percy's eyes widened and his mouth gaped open in shock. They were saying that Harry Potter was his brother, that he was stolen from their family.

Percy's mind automatically went to the brother he lost. Harry was the right age and he was born around the same time, but it was impossible. Prewett had died. They'd buried him. Though he supposed some sort of switch could be the cause of that. He had remembered his parents once saying that Prewett was seemingly healthy when he was born. Was it really possible?

Percy didn't have much time to contemplate it, as the fight between the two government officials continued.

"I will say it to whomever I need to! That boy is nothing but a liar! He is no more the Weasley's child than You Know Who is back! Not one moment of our time will be wasted on the brat!" Fudge yelled.

"That is not your call, Minister. Law Enforcement is my territory and you have no say in it. And if you even try to circumvent my attempt to get justice for the Potter… no, the Weasley boy, so help me, I will end you!"

Percy listened as footsteps began to come towards him. He immediately backed away from the door and went to his desk, which was stationed just a few feet away. He sat down and did his best to pretend he hadn't heard what he had.

Madam Bones stormed out of Fudge's office and was about to head down the hall when she noticed Percy. She immediately went over to him. "Percy Weasley, yes?"

Percy nodded numbly. It was all he could manage under the circumstances.

"You've been apprised of the situation with your family, correct?" Madam Bones asked.

Again, Percy did nothing but nod.

"I'm sure you also heard a lot of went on in there. Please assure your family that justice will be served. I will not allow the minister's foolishness to interfere with the law," Madam Bones told him.

Another nod.

Madam Bones quickly walked away.

Percy sat alone with his thoughts and finally began to process his thoughts. Harry was his brother. At least that was what he had just heard. If the minister was to be believed, Harry was lying. But believing Harry was lying was no longer as easy as it was even just an hour ago.

Believing Harry Potter was a liar was easy for him. Not because Harry had shown himself to be a liar or a deceiver. As far as he was aware, Harry had never openly lied before. No, it was easy for Percy to believe for two reasons. One was fear. The idea of You Know Who being bad scared him more than anything ever had. He'd heard the horrors of what that monster had done. Him being alive was the worst thing Percy could imagine.

The other reason was much more petty. It was jealousy. He'd always been jealous of Harry. From pretty much his introduction into their world, Harry had been accepted into Percy's family, more specifically, by his brothers. He was accepted in a way Percy felt he never was. All of his siblings, save Bill and Charlie, had made fun of him. He was punch line of all their jokes and pranks, yet Harry was just accepted in seconds.

So, yeah, it was easy to turn on Harry Potter. It was easy to vilify him and it was even easy to turn on his family because of him, since Percy was angry at his family for liking Harry more than him. But that was when Harry was Harry Potter. It seemed he wasn't anymore. Could he really accuse someone, who was in all probability his brother, of lying? And if this was true, Harry wasn't just his brother. He was the brother Percy had always longed to know.

"Percy?"

Percy was immediately started out of his thoughts. He practically jumped out of his seat before he realized it was just Bill and Charlie.

"Sorry, brother. We didn't mean to scare you," Charlie said.

"Percy, we really need to talk. There's something you need to know," Bill said.

"If it's about Harry, I already know," Percy said.

"You do? How?" Charlie asked.

"I overheard Madam Bones and Minister Fudge," Percy said.

"Bloody hell. I was hoping we could get to you before something like that happened," Bill said. He hadn't wanted his brother to find out like that. He wanted for him and Charlie to be the ones to tell him.

"So it's true then. It's him?" Percy asked for confirmation.

Bill nodded. "Yeah, it's true."

Percy let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding in. As soon as the question was answered for good, guilt started to seep in. He remembered every terribly thing he'd done. From the fight he'd had with his parents to the letter he'd written to Ron about Harry. He remembered every vile thing he'd said about harry behind his back. His own brother. "Oh, Merlin. What have I done?"

Bill saw the guilt that was tearing his brother apart. A part him wanted to comfort Percy and tell him it was okay, but he wouldn't. Percy deserved to feel this guilt right now. He needed to realize how much he'd hurt the family. "You've been a right git! Right now, however, it isn't about you or what you did. We're a family and Harry needs us right now."

Percy shook his head. "He doesn't need me. He doesn't need the brother that turned his back."

"Yeah, he does. He needs all of us. This thing is tearing him apart. He needs to know that his family loves him and will help him through it. That includes you. Consider this the first step to making it right. Come home and be a family with the rest of us. Harry needs that, and honestly, so do the rest of us," Bill said.

Percy took a deep breath. He knew his brother was right. He couldn't think about himself or how hard it would be to face Harry after what he did. He needed to be there for his brother and the rest of his family. "Alright."


End file.
